


New Year's in Postwick

by OhYaBettaDont



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Bede's POV, Being Single and Lonely, F/M, Jealousy, Married Couple, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Timeskip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22020241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhYaBettaDont/pseuds/OhYaBettaDont
Summary: Gloria and Hop, who have been married for a little over a year, are having a New Year's party in Postwick. Bede has to be dragged to the party because he can't stand to see all the couples he knows will be there -- especially because he believes Gloria and Hop are trying to rub their happiness in his face because he's single.
Relationships: Hop/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 1
Kudos: 68





	New Year's in Postwick

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this kind of hastily so that it would be ready before New Year's Eve, so I'm super open to suggestions on how I can improve it! 
> 
> Also, another Sword/Shield fic is in the works, so stay tuned.

“Bede? Bede! Where are you? Are you lost? Follow the sound of my voice.” 

Bede heard her, and he wasn’t lost. He was trying to escape from that uncomfortable party. Standing in the freezing cold of Postwick in December-almost-January may not be a great alternative, but he’d rather be out here among the sleeping Wooloo and the smell of wet hay than in there where all the couples were. 

Still, the way Gloria called to him was concerning. She sounded worried for him. He contemplated going back inside, but he figured that she’d soon forget about him and wait for the countdown with her husband instead. 

***

The previous day, Bede had been at home when he’d gotten a video call from Gloria. She phoned every now and again, but she usually only video called when she wanted to talk about something important, so he’d picked up, worrying a little bit about what she might need to say. 

“Hello?” he asked, squinting at his floating Rotom Phone. 

“Hey pal!” Gloria chirped. “What’s new?” She had a big smile on her face, and Bede could tell based on the Wyndon skyline behind her that she was in her flat. 

Bede interpreted the “What’s new?” as more of a greeting than an actual question, so he cut to the chase. “What do you want?” he asked, trying not to sound too bored. 

“Pfft. Wow, that’s quite a greeting after we haven’t talked in almost a month. I was just gonna ask what your plans for tomorrow were.” 

“With any luck, nothing.” Gloria liked to try and rope Bede into things, and he’d gotten good at saying no before the question was even asked. 

Gloria gasped, but not in the way that Bede would’ve expected her to. This was an excited gasp. Not a good sign for him. “You don’t have any New Year’s Eve plans? What luck! Hop and I are having a party at my parents’ house in Postwick. You should come.” 

Bede opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. “Wait, New Year’s Eve? That’s tomorrow?” 

Gloria rolled her eyes. “Very funny. So you’re coming tomorrow, right?” As she spoke, Hop scurried behind her, on screen just long enough for Bede to be able to tell he was chasing something. Probably one of their Pokémon. 

“I—” Bede hadn’t been joking. He’d forgotten about New Year’s Eve. He blushed, but thought it best not to admit that he was being sincere. Instead, he focused on Gloria’s question. “I’ll pass.” 

“Why? You just said you’ve got no plans tomorrow.” 

Bede ran his fingers through his short hair, a nervous habit that sometimes got so bad that the hair on one side of his head would get visibly thinner than on the other side. “Well, it’s not that I  _ can’t _ come, it’s just that I’m…” he paused, trying to think of the bluntest way of putting it without being too rude, “don’t want to.” 

“But why not? It’ll be fun! My family will be there, and so will Hop’s, and so will a bunch of our friends. Don’t you want to at least stay up for the New Year’s countdown with someone?” 

“Not really. Plus, going all the way to Postwick just to hang out with you and your husband’s families isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.” That’s what Bede told Gloria, but there were bigger reasons why he didn’t want to go. Namely, he knew he would likely be the only person there who was single. 

It seemed in the past two years that everyone besides him and Opal had settled down or at least found romance of some sort. Bede hadn’t so much as had a date in that time, and Hop and Gloria’s marriage a little over a year ago only twisted the knife because all of a sudden they, a married couple, constantly wanted to pester him, a single man who lived with his gran. It seemed like every week they wanted to invite him over for supper, or their game nights, or some odd outing like a basket-weaving class. 

He probably wouldn’t mind being single if it weren’t for them, and to make it worse, every time they came up in conversation, Opal felt the need to condescendingly ask Bede, “When are you going to find someone?” 

“What? Postwick isn’t  _ that _ far from you. Don’t Flying Taxis come to Ballonlea?” 

Bede waved his hand to dismiss her question. “Whatever. The point is, I’m not coming. You can give my invitation to someone else.” 

After a short pause, Gloria let out that excited-sounding gasp again. “Maybe I will!” She got out her RotomBook and began typing at a frightening speed. 

“Gloria,” Bede said suspiciously, “what are you doing?” 

“Just what you asked me to do,” she twittered. “I’m sending your invitation to someone else.” She pressed Enter in the smuggest way Bede could imagine someone pressing Enter, then sat back on her couch. 

Almost instantly, Bede heard Opal calling from her study. “Bede, are we doing anything tomorrow?” 

Bede’s eyes went wide as he guessed what Gloria had done. “You didn’t.” 

Gloria nodded. “I’ll see you two tomorrow.” She hung up. 

Bede rubbed his temples. It wasn’t that he didn’t like being with Opal. He would’ve moved out a long time ago if that were the case. But, with her current state, taking Opal anywhere made everything more complicated. Even if accessibility for wheelchairs wasn’t a persistent issue, she always wanted to talk to everyone she recognized on the street (and in Ballonlea, that was just about everybody), which was both inconvenient and awkward for Bede. The part he hated the most, though, was people’s tendency to pull him aside and ask, “How  _ is _ Opal?” 

He always had to hold himself back from saying, “How do you  _ think _ she is? She’s 102 years old!” Opal had trouble standing up for more than fifteen minutes at a time and walking for more than ten, but to her credit, her mind was still sharper than ever. That, at least in Bede’s opinion, still made her scarier than hell. 

And this scarier-than-hell woman would be dragging Bede along as her plus-one to a New Year’s Eve party in Postwick. 

***

They arrived in Postwick long after dark, bundled up because they knew it would be cold and they both hated the cold. Steering Opal’s wheelchair, Bede approached the house that must belong to Gloria’s family as it was the only house on the street with its lights on. He knocked on the front door.

The door opened and on the other side were Hop and Gloria, standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Apparently being married meant you couldn’t even answer a door by yourself. They beamed at Bede and Opal. 

“Bede! And Opal! Thank you so much for coming.” Gloria let them into the house while Hop took their coats for them. 

Opal, with her hands contentedly folded over her lap, replied, “Oh, the pleasure’s all ours, dear.” 

Bede stayed silent, giving Gloria a sarcastic half-smile. She knew what she’d done, even if she was trying to look all doe-eyed and innocent about it. 

Gloria leaned in toward them. “I’m glad you two came when you did. Opal, do you mind if I steal you for a minute?” 

“As long as you steer me toward the bar.” 

Gloria chuckled, snatching the handles of Opal’s wheelchair from Bede. Bede hoped Gloria knew that Opal wasn’t joking about the bar. “We’ll be back,” said Gloria. 

Realizing that he’d just been ditched by Hop, Gloria and Opal all at once, Bede found himself all alone at this party. He scanned the area. In the dining room, he saw about a half a dozen middle-aged and older folks (presumably relatives of Hop’s or Gloria’s) sitting around a table and vaping out an open window. In the living room was a card table occupied by Leon, Raihan, Sonia and Nessa, who appeared to be playing euchre; as well as a sectional sofa where Piers and Marnie sat by themselves. 

Then there was Bede, standing in the middle of it all and not sure what to do. 

“Hey!” Hop’s voice made Bede jump. He hadn’t seen him coming. Hop smiled. “Sorry about that. Did the girls already ditch you?”

“I guess so,” Bede replied flatly. 

“No bother, I’m sure they’ll be back. Why don’t you come set with us? Make yourself comfortable.” Without waiting for a response, Hop brazenly put an arm around Bede’s shoulder and guided him toward the sectional couch where Piers and Marnie sat. “Hey guys, look who’s here,” he said to the siblings, squeezing Bede’s shoulder in a way Bede found to be a little too affectionate. But Bede also didn’t usually like being touched at all.

Piers gave Bede a polite nod. Marnie looked up and greeted Bede, “All right, Bede?” 

“All right,” said Bede in reply. Hop took his seat next to Marnie, and Bede sat on Hop’s other side. 

“Piers and Marnie were just telling me about their recent trip to Sinnoh,” Hop said, his yellow eyes going wide in excitement. “You should hear this. It sounds like it was a heck of a trip.” 

Marnie played with her hair. She’d grown it out over the past couple of years, but it looked like she still preferred to keep it in pigtails. “That’s right… where were we in our story, Piers?” 

“You were buryin’ the lead,” Piers replied, leaning back. 

“Tch. No I wasn’t. I was just savin’ the best part for last!” 

Hop leaned in. “Wait, were the resort and that Maniac Tunnel not the best part?” 

“Hardly,” said Piers. “Unless legendary Pokémon bore you.” 

“Piers!” Marnie yelled, smacking Piers on the shoulder. “You ruined my story! I was gonna go for some dramatic buildup!” 

Hop was literally on the edge of his seat. “Did you say legendary Pokémon?” 

Marnie let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes. We saw Dialga and Palkia. And the story would’ve been  _ way _ cooler if my  _ brother _ ‘adn’t interrupted.” 

If that’s what having a sibling was like, then part of Bede was glad he didn’t have any. 

Marnie went on for a while longer giving details about their legendary encounter that were surely at least a little exaggerated. Hop hung on to her every word, but Bede’s mind wandered as he thought about where on Earth Gloria had taken Opal. There was no way those two were up to any good. What were they scheming? 

As if they’d known he was thinking about them, Gloria and Opal emerged from… somewhere? They must’ve been in a back room or something. Cheerfully holding a glass of white wine, Opal addressed the whole group, including the older folks in the dining room. “Who’s ready for a trivia game?” 

Her voice, though not loud, somehow commanded the attention of the whole house. Another one of the many things that scared Bede about Opal. Everyone raised their hands like schoolkids waiting to answer their teacher’s question. 

“Good. Now, everyone pair up and Gloria will hand every team a sheet of paper.” 

Hop leaned over to Bede. “Bede, you should join me and Gloria’s team.” 

“Didn’t Granny say to  _ pair _ up? As in, groups of two?” Bede asked. 

“Yeah, but we’ve got an odd number. And we want you on our team.” 

Bede looked around. Hop was right – everyone else had already paired up, and he knew Opal wouldn’t let him sit out of the game. “Fine.” 

Gloria made her rounds handing out sheets of paper to each pair. Hop and Bede were the last people she approached. “So, we’re a group of three?” 

“I guess,” said Bede. 

“Great!” She handed a pen and paper to Bede. “I think we’re gonna win this.” She sat down on Bede’s other side, so he was forced to be in between her and Hop. He never felt like more of a third wheel in his life. 

Opal’s commanding voice filled the room again. “First, we must choose a trivia category. Any suggestions?” 

“How about Fairy-type Pokémon?” Bede grumbled sarcastically. He could tell based on the slight change in Opal’s expression that she’d heard him, but she was ignoring him. 

Hop piped in. “Ooh! Or history trivia!” 

Leon’s distinct baritone came from the other side of the room. “Hey, it’s the holidays. How about some holiday trivia?” 

“That would be fitting,” Opal replied. She paused to take a long sip of her wine. “Okay, let’s begin. First question…” 

As she usually did when giving quizzes or puzzles, Opal went completely from memory, not writing down any of the questions or the answers to those questions. She just knew them off the top of her head. She asked trivia questions about dozens of holidays, some which weren’t even commonly celebrated in Galar. 

Sitting on either side of Bede on the couch, Hop and Gloria would lean in to discuss their answers, usually ending up leaning against Bede while he was trying to write the answers down. The weight of their bodies against him made him uncomfortable, especially as he realized how rare it was that anyone – even Opal – got that close to him. The couple whispered and giggled, sometimes saying something at the same time or finishing each other’s sentences. Bede realized that they were probably a little tipsy. At the very least, that would explain their disrespect of his personal space. 

Trivia came to an end. Bede’s team came in first place, winning against Nessa and Sonia by only one point. Their overly enthusiastic personalities mixed with alcohol compelled Hop and Gloria to gloat. They jumped off the couch, hollering, and gave each other a big high five in front of the whole party. 

Bede stayed seated and watched this happen, embarrassed that everyone at the party was looking in his direction. He’d forgotten how competitive these two could be.

“Wait a second,” Sonia protested. “That’s not fair! They’ve got three people!” 

“Get good, Sonia,” Hop retorted with his signature cheeky grin. 

A playful smile came across Sonia’s face. “We’ll get you for this,” she joked. She and Nessa shook their fists at Hop like angry villains in an old Saturday morning cartoon. 

“No bother,” Opal interjected. “While I admire the spirit of competition, this was all in good fun. There was no prize to be won or anything.” She checked her watch. “Looks like it’s about five minutes until midnight, so now might be a good time to turn on the telly and get ready for the countdown.” 

While a middle-aged woman whom Bede guessed was probably Gloria’s mum began fumbling with the telly, Bede felt an urge that had lasted all night take over him. He had to get out of this house. Now. He didn’t bother telling anyone where he was going. He didn’t even try and find his coat. He just stood up and slipped out the side door, hoping nobody would notice him.

The cold was terrible. Bede shivered, regretting not grabbing a coat before stepping out into the cold rural night. Nighttime in Postwick was darker and quieter than anything he’d ever experienced before – the only sound was the occasional stirring of sleeping Wooloo, and the only light came from the moon and the stars overhead. Bede hugged himself. 

This’ll still beat standing around awkwardly while everyone else will be hugging and kissing each other when the clock strikes twelve, he told himself. 

***

The side door creaked open. “Bede! There you are,” Gloria said, stepping out into the cold. “What’re you doing out here? You’ll get sick.” 

Bede looked at Gloria, and although it was too dark to see any details of her face, he could tell she looked worried. “Oh, don’t give me that. I know why you made me come here.” 

Gloria paused for a moment, shivering a little. “Why do you think I wanted you to come?” she asked flatly. 

“Because you love making my life harder,” he snapped. “You always have. I don’t know if it’s because of that time fourteen years ago when I said something mean to Hop or what, but you’ve always had it out for me. I know that you invited me to this party for the same reason that you keep inviting me to hang out with you and your husband: you want to remind me that I’m all alone.” He realized he’d slowly been getting louder. He sighed, trying to sound calmer. “I’ve got nobody except Gran. No friends, no family, no lovers. Once Gran’s gone, I’ll be on my own for good.” 

Gloria sniffed. Had she started crying? “Do you really think that?” she asked with a shaky voice. 

Her tone caught him off guard. He stammered, unable to form any words, while the ideas he’d formed about her began to crumble. 

“Bede… Hop and I consider you our friend. We want to spend time with you and invite you to parties because we  _ don’t _ want you to be alone.” Gloria wiped tears off her cheeks. “He and I talk about this sometimes. We – I mean, I – never intended to make things worse. I just wanted to be your pal.” 

Watching Gloria cry in the freezing cold, Bede realized he’d made a huge mistake. To make it worse, he had no idea what to say to even try and make it better. He wrapped her in a big hug, squeezing her tightly. When she let out a few muffled sobs into his shirt, he whispered, “I’m so sorry. All this time, I thought you were out to get me, but you only wanted to be a part of my life.” 

Gloria took some shaky breaths as Bede released her from the hug. She smiled at him. “Can we… go inside now? I’m freezing, and Hop’s gonna start to worry about us.” 

Bede smiled back, opening the side door for Gloria. She went in, her mood instantly improving, and he followed. 

As soon as they got back into the warmth of the house, Bede heard Opal call to him. “There you are,” she said. “I was starting to worry you were going to deny your granny a New Year’s kiss.” 

“For you, Gran?” said Bede. “Never.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all noticed that Bede is bitching about being the only person there without a significant other when there doesn't seem to be anyone with either Piers or Marnie. Bede just has his head too far up his ass to notice that he's not the only single person at the party.


End file.
